Category: Memory

Introduction

The book titled Memory of Silence and written by Uva De Aragon tells the readers a touching story of two sisters who were separated because of the Cuban Revolution that broke out unexpectedly and affected the lives of many Cubans. The main characters of the story are Menchu and Lauri, twin sisters with a common past that is divided by their present life choices, as Menchu remains in Cuba, and Lauri leaves for Miami. Despite the fact that Lauri and Menchu did not talk to each other for the next forty years, they shared identical values and secrets. Throughout the Memory of Silence, De Aragon describes the lives of both sisters and shows that sometimes, reconciling may be painful but still a much better option than remaining silent for a long time.

As for Lucy, it was written by Jamaica Kincaid, and it contained a great deal of autobiographical information. Lucy, the main character of the story, leaves Antigua for the United States in search of a better life. She becomes an au pair but quickly starts longing after her hometown and her family because she had never left her mother. Despite the presence of unresolved feelings related to her interpersonal relationships, Lucy is willing to grow both personally and professionally. At the end of the day, Kincaid portrays a rather cynical and close-to-life transition from childhood to middle age, with all of its struggles and challenges.

Differences: The Theme of Sibling Relationships in Memory of Silence

Even though both Lucy and Memory of Silence contain a great deal of family-related content, the theme of family is addressed in De Aragon’s novel in richer detail. The commonalities and differences characteristic of the two sisters represent an allusion to the Cuban Revolution and how the common past of close relatives could be divided by unprecedented events. The mutual sense of rejection and betrayal that follows the split is what moves the theme of sibling conflict forward and creates more than just a physical restraint caused by Lauri’s relocation to Miami (De Aragon 58). The silence that both sisters keep afterward is what De Aragon utilizes to reinforce the idea that the feelings of abandonment and emptiness cannot be replaced by anything else rather than communication and reconciliation. Nevertheless, twin sisters do not care about reconciliation for at least forty years despite similar achievements. Throughout the novel, Lauri and Menchu long for each other, but the voices of their memories speak louder than their willingness to overcome pride and settle.

The circumstances that each of the sisters has to go through represent the complex way of coming to a realization that nothing matters except for the close ones – regardless of how distant they could have become over the years. Lauri and Menchu wanted to know more about each other, meaning that they were interested in studying their inner selves. De Aragon allegorically touches upon Cuba’s past and turns it into a story about twin sisters who decided to stay in silence instead of speaking up and discussing their differences. The siblings are not two separate characters, but rather two parts of a greater whole who were artificially alienated with the help of a marine “iron curtain” (De Aragon 199). The author of Memory of Silence manages to highlight the differences of the Cuban “twins” – the Cuban diaspora and the islanders – while also unfolding the idea that the relationship between these alleged sisters would never be damaged by distance, separation, or any other restraint.

Differences: The Theme of Going in Circles in Lucy

One of the topics that do not get replicated in Memory of Silence is Kincaid’s willingness to show how one’s attempts to change might lead to ultimately reaching the landing strip that they tried to reject when first stepping on the path of transformation. Lucy never thought she would meet any challenges after leaving the hometown spot that made her feel bad for the United States, a perceived fairyland that she expected to become her second home. Nevertheless, the numerous challenges of relocation and the status of an immigrant brought even more sources of discontent to the table, forcing Lucy to start dreaming of coming back to the native island that she wanted to escape so much (Kincaid 90). The cyclical journey reinforced by Kincaid is what makes Lucy’s struggles evident and discloses the fact that what goes around comes around.

Sitting in her new apartment, so grown and developed, Lucy realized that she is most likely unable to display affection and true love because of her past experiences and all the pain that she had to take. Even though there were enough signs proving that Lucy’s journey is appealingly recurring by nature, Kincaid specifically mentions that the “journey” starts and ends in January. In addition to the larger cycle related to how Lucy had to persevere her first year in the United States on her own, there are also quite a few smaller phases that she goes through in order to become an adult (Kincaid 47). From damaging relationships to her hope to come back to the native land, Lucy has all kinds of issues to address, but the bigger issue is that Lucy’s progress is cyclical, and she has to come back to her initial state at the end of the journey. The main character’s hard work did not really pay off because Lucy never had the opportunity to understand that the true meaning of happiness had always been inside her and had nothing to do with men, love, or jobs.

Similarities: The Theme of Intrafamilial Relationships in Lucy and Memory of Silence

Even though the story describes Lucy’s mother as being not physically present in the main character’s life, Lucy still tends to think of her mother in ways that cause a whole palette of emotions ranging from repentance and longing to hatred and antagonism. The story shows how young Lucy becomes an adult and gains more experience while also looking back at her mother, which is the best way to reiterate the incredible strength of the bond between mothers and daughters (Kincaid 30). The connection between the main character and her mother was so strong that Lucy tended to believe, at one time, that she was an extension of her mother and not just the daughter. Therefore, the tensions between Lucy and her mother stand as the key source of motivation for Lucy to resent her mother’s feelings and separate them by moving to the United States. Nevertheless, it is essential for the main character to achieve adulthood, so she decides to break with her mother to become stronger.

As for the intrafamilial relations in Memory of Silence, De Aragon places emphasis on the topic of reconciliation, but there is also the theme of how often opposing views create obstacles for the close ones and avert them from overcoming mere ideological differences to remain as close as they had always been. For the author, the key idea is that Lauri and Menchu have to forgive and forget in order to move forward, as there cannot be love without compromises that affect both sides. The lack of empathy divides the twin sisters and makes them question if any of them is worth tolerance, but the core value for a family should be understanding and not the ability to forgive (De Aragon 255). For the author of the book, it is evident that sisters are going to reconcile at the end, but the paths that they should take on the way to reuniting presuppose a great deal of emotional power.

Similarities: The Themes of Culture and Perception in Memory of Silence and Lucy

Another important topic that is discussed in De Aragon’s Memory of Silence is the presence of cultural questions that touch upon the importance of diaspora and its relations with the local population. The author puts it as the problem of perception because it was not easier for immigrants to settle somewhere outside of Cuba than it was for Cubans to put up with the challenges of their homeland. With at least one of the twins leaving Cuba, the readers get a chance to follow the process of a person’s identity evolving, as Lauri becomes much more Americanized over time without even realizing it. This gradual shift shall be embraced and nurtured in order to protect the locals’ sense of self and avert them from giving up on their values and aspirations. That was the main reason why Lauri had trouble remembering if Cuba was a dream or just a mere recall from her past (De Aragon 175). The sense of isolation experienced by Lauri after her divorce is what makes her wonder if she perceived the United States as the right place for her to settle and whether the relocation was a reasonable move at all.

In terms of culture and perception, Lucy raises similar concerns because Kincaid manages to showcase the issues that one might meet along the way if their background and worldviews were different from those of the people around them. The main character has an unalike attitude toward the beauty of certain flowerets because of her memories of colonial injustice. After relocating, Lucy faces a culture of division between the whites and blacks and also sees how people around her tend to place their desires over everything else. With Lucy’s Caribbean native land being more than just a place for recreation for many wealthy Americans, the main character does not realize how her disappointments could be aligned against the cost that one should pay to achieve the freedom that many Americans, especially white, take for granted (Kincaid 80). The difference in perceptions, therefore, arises from the fact that Lucy grew up within an unalike culture where experiences were much more mixed than in America.

Conclusion

One of the best elements of Lucy is that Kincaid mostly writes it in first-person, which makes it easier to follow the development path of the main character and ultimately draw parallels between one’s self and Lucy. The gradual emotional separation that is unveiled throughout the plot is what makes this book stand out so much among other similar novels. Kincaid tells the readers a story of how one should always keep their homegrown experiences alive and never forget their family. The unjust and restrictive situations that Lucy has to persevere set the stage for her to become a financially independent woman who only relies on herself. As Lucy is mostly an autobiographical entry, it is easy for the readers to associate themselves with the main character. The majority of external events represent a shiny cover that unveils the inner changes that slowly occur in Lucy throughout the novel. The ability to leave one’s old self behind and start a new life is what Kincaid highlights as the key to a liberated, conscious life.

Nevertheless, the dynamics of Memory of Silence are also extremely moving because of a strong emphasis on how one should never forget where they came from and how they turned into their today’s version. The idea is that the feeling of nostalgia should not be either feared or kicked away: instead, it should be seen as a helping hand when a person is trying to overcome certain challenges related to their past. The lack of forgiveness is what makes many individuals suffer because they cannot reach the therapeutic catharsis of letting go of a situation that damaged them. According to the accepted wisdom presented by De Aragon, Memory of Silence is a story about willpower and the necessity to leave pessimistic outlooks behind in order to live freely. A strong association with the Cuban Revolution is what made the book read and feel natural, leaving the audience touched by the damaging effects of personal metamorphoses that many of us choose to detest instead of embracing. With both sisters reconciling and rediscovering their past, the Memory of Silence ends on a high note and proves that it is never too late to display humility and affection when it comes to family.

References

De Aragon, Uva, et al. The Memory of Silence. Cubanabooks, 2014.

Kincaid, Jamaica. Lucy: A Novel. Macmillan, 1990.

Time forms a very important aspect in trying to see the bond that makes up a community. All expressions that try to explain the social structure of a particular society or community always put into consideration the virtual time span. Social practices practiced by certain communities are as a result of the time space within which these activities occurred. Time span and space are two variables that remain constant in explaining the activities of a community and the way the communities maintain these activities. The essay that follows will give an account of how time is a determining factor in describing what a community is and how it keeps together. Communities have certain aspects that hold them together through the different changing times and as a result, they have devised certain ceremonies and events that help to keep them together. The essay will first give an account of how time helps to shape a community, various events that have been formulated in order to keep the community together and the effectiveness of these events in keeping the community principles and values together.

Through the changing times, communities can be connected to time that forms the basis from which communities can be able to make sense of who they really are. Time has helped to define a range of different communal life, which might vary from a small unit like that of a family to a much larger unit like that of a nation or state. Time has helped people like feminist to develop a basis from which they can make claims about women harassment. The structure and continuation of a community depends entirely on the perspective of the community towards time. Communities have over time developed activities and practices that are related to the contents of time, the contextual aspect of time and vicissitudes of time.

Time provides a background upon which a community defines itself. There are varying time structures that have been formulated by communities that help them to create their individual time cultures. Due to these time structures, communities are able to come up with activities in which they engage in wholesomely as community members. These activities help to make the members of a certain community to cooperate and come together in time. Time helps to define communities. The way a community relates to time displays how time also relates to a community. Normally, time exceeds the life span of a human being and therefore, community boundaries in time cannot be confined to the members of that community. This is to imply that if a community is to continue existing, then it has to exceed the existence of the societal faction. To achieve this, there necessitates community to formulate and come up with methods, activities and practices that will help them to enhance a persons experience of time that goes beyond the normal prospect of experiences that occur in an individuals everyday life. This will involve the creation of an earlier period of life and future that go way beyond the individual.

This would entail that the community finds a way of reorganizing time or freezing it. In most cases, communities achieve this by coming up with things such as museums and the celebrating of holidays and other rituals which form a relevant potion in the freezing of time in order to keep the activities of a community intact without them fading away.

An example of a collective time when people came together was at the end of the Berlin war. The communities on both sides came together to reorganize their past memories so that they could have a better future where they can live in harmony. The governments of these countries, their educational systems together with the religious organizations all come together to make sure that the collective accounts that happened in the past merge together with the future to make it a conducive place for the different communities to interact with each other harmoniously.

One of the holidays that bring people together is the Christmas holiday. During this time, people gather around their homes and it forms a time when family and friends come together to celebrate an event that has been preserved over a long period of time. This event brings out a good religious quality that exits among the people. Christmas is a holiday that is celebrated by Christians throughout the world. It is a religious event that helps to bring together Christians from all lifestyles in a community to celebrate this great event. Community interaction is therefore enhanced due to the gatherings that occur in church and the people are able to remember a significant event that marked a change in the Christian ways of life. Several verbal and non-verbal cues are used during the Christmas period which includes hymns, the use of Christmas trees and the Santa Claus.

Museums are also part of the institution that help to connect people with time and brings back memories of past times. Museums form regions where people are able to gather and this helps to strengthen communal relationships. The people of a particular community are able to connect and have a central basis that brings them together in a common thing that helps them to link to each other. Museums hold ancient things that form a point of interest where people gather to commemorate on ancient things that bonds them together. These museums bring the attention of the people to realize how important time is to the well-being of a community.

Another event that brings communities together is fashion shows. The fashion shows use dressing and other cultural objects such as food and beverages. These fashion shows use art in bringing out the message. The people are able to familiarize with the art and are able to be taken back in time and recollect the things that happened. This recollection strengthens the community ties among individuals who share a common origin that is brought out at art galleries and fashion shows. This helps to bring a look back into time. The previous life of the community members is brought to the present time and this in turn helps to bring these people to a collective gathering presently.

In summary time forms a very important aspect in the lives of human beings. It is this recollection of things that happened in the past which help individuals to familiarize themselves with each other through the bond that is created from past events that form an important aspect of a community. Holidays such as Christmas holidays are times when family and friends gather in homes and churches to commemorate on a religious event that happened in the past but merges with the future to bring about different people from varying ethnic backgrounds to a celebrate something on a common ground. Time is therefore an important aspect when it comes to community living.

Introduction

In psychology, the influence of environment on the ability of human beings to recall events and things had been a huge area of study for the better part of the 20^th century (Eich1980, p. 345). Cognitive psychologists have focused on the mental processes that are critical in the memory of an individual (Marian & Neisser 2000, p. 328). Researchers have shown that the environment and the context that human beings interact with are important in enhancing or reducing their ability to recall. To that end, it is important to understand that memory refers to the ability of a person or animal to store information in their mental faculties and retrieve it when need arises. In an attempt to explicate the importance of context in an individual memory processes, Smith (1979, pp. 1-56) conducted an experiment that sought to elaborate on the influence of environment on cognitive and mental processes. In addition, Godden & Baddeley (1975, p. 65) found that different specific contexts are critical for recalling the information stored at that time. They explicated that a deep-sea diver can recall more information gathered in the sea when in the context of deep waters.

Aim

This report seeks to provide insights on eyewitness memory and its reliability given that it has become a contentious issue especially in legal contexts. The rationale is that eyewitnesses of events and sounds may not be accurate when reporting the actual occurrence to other people due to influences of such factors as prejudice and context among many others.

Hypothesis

The results ought to show that the context in which eyewitnesses observed an event is important in the recall memory of the participants. Particularly, the study should reveal that different witnesses of the same event could have different interpretations due to the context they find themselves in when asked to report their observations.

Method

Design

During the research, the use of observation was an important aspect of the research. The design entails that the participants would witness an event as first hand witnesses and report their observations in different contexts. While we consider the need for a control group, some participants will report their observation from the actual point of occurrences. The independent variables would be the number of participants, the event to report and their ages. Time and the contexts in which the participants would report their observation are subject to alteration making them the dependent variables. The research design also emphasizes on the need to uphold ethics when reporting the occurrence and the choice of the actual event that they would witness. This implies that the research design considers the religious, ethnic, gender and other backgrounds that are specific to the participants (Lewis & Critchley 2003, pp. 23-213).

Participants

There were seven participants in the research of relatively similar age. Their age category was between 20 to 25 years. Although gender was not a significant factor in the study, both males and females were equally represented in the study. The participants came from random sampling to reduce bias and enhance the testability and reliability of the results. With no prior knowledge of the experiment, the participants would provide objective report that is devoid of prejudice and prior information.

Procedure

All the seven participants received a form of consent at the onset of the experiment to show their commitment to the success of the experiment. They were introduced to a context in which an old woman was engaging in a confrontation with a young man. The simulation of the event was unknown to the participants who were to report on the actual event upon request through a questionnaire. The old woman had been the cause of the confrontation that lasted for about 20 minutes. At the end of the confrontation, two of the participants reported the confrontation from the context that it took place. Two of the participants gave their eyewitnesses’ reports outside the environment that it happened while the rest of the participants made their observation one day after the actual simulation. One of them provided the eyewitness report at the actual environment and the other one made the eyewitness report outside the context it happened. Nonetheless, one participant declined to participate further after the actual simulation.

Results

At the end of the experiment, the first two participants who made their report at the scene of confrontation immediately after witnessing it remembered the actual confrontation and said that the old woman had led to the ugly scene. They also reported that the young lad had contributed substantially to the escalation of the confrontation. Indeed, the two participants who filled the questionnaire answered 8 out of 10 questions correctly. The two who answered the questionnaire outside the environment that the simulation happened answered an average of 6.5 questions out of 10. The participant who came back at the scene where the confrontation had occurred answered seven questions correctly. Finally, the last participant who filled the questionnaire on the actual occurrence of the confrontation after one day and outside the environment it happened was only able to answer 4 questions correctly. It is important to note that all participants blamed the confrontation on the young man who they thought had led to the escalation of the bitter scene.

Discussion

The research above shows how memory depends on the context and real life situations. Cardwell & Meldrum (2012, pp. 65-156) say that eyewitnesses testimonies were not hundred percent accurate although significant variations were apparent among the participants who witnessed the same event. At the outset, it is critical to consider that the context in which an event occurs is a huge cue that facilitates the retrieval of information from the mind (Grant 1998, p.617; Bouton 2002, p. 983). The participants who filled questionnaire in the context of the event were undoubtedly more accurate than the rest who made reports on the same even outside the context that it happened. In addition, time is a factor that has a direct correlation with the ability of the eyewitnesses to make objective and accurate testimony on what happened (Godden & Baddeley 1975, p. 327). The participant who made the testimony one day after and outside the context it happened fared poorly.

This research has been able to reveal the unreliability of the eyewitnesses’ testimony as a source of making major decisions in courts and other areas that require eyewitness’ testimony. In line with Baddeley & Anderson (2009, p. 29) proposition of schema theory, human beings develop systematic packages of information regarding life. As such, life and socialization processes facilitate the production of attitudes, prejudices, values and beliefs that shape individual memory. It is therefore unsurprising to note that different eyewitnesses’ may give testimonies that reflect their values and testimonies. All participants thought that the young person in the experiment had indeed provoked the old woman. This was despite witnessing the entire confrontation. Values and beliefs inhibit the ability of an individual to provide precise information leading to the unreliability of eyewitness testimony (Smith & Vela 2001, p. 220; Marian & Fausey 2006, p. 1047). The rationale is that all human beings have similar schemas that may insinuate their inability to provide accurate and precise testimonies of an event.

Further, the context in which the event happened is an important tool aspect that increases the ability of an individual to recall. Despite the inaccuracies of the eyewitnesses’ testimonies, the witnesses would enhance their ability to recall the actual event when allowed to make their reports in the environment that the event happened (Smith1988, p. 56). In essence, the context increases the ability of an individual to make more accurate deductions than when outside the environment. It is therefore important to note that the actual environment in which an event occurs can heighten the reliability of an eyewitness’ testimony in the legal context (Crombag & Shaham 2002, p. 170).

References

Baddeley, A & Anderson, M 2009, Memory, Psychology Press, New York.

Bouton, M 2002, “Context, ambiguity, and unlearning: sources of relapse after behavioral extinction” Biological Psychiatry, vol. 52 no. 10, pp. 976–986.

Cardwell, C & Meldrum, T 2012, Psychology, Psychology Publisher, London.

Crombag, H & Shaham, Y 2002, “Renewal of drug seeking by contextual cues after prolonged extinction in rats”, Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 116 no. 1, pp. 169–173.

Eich, J 1980, The cue-dependent nature of state-dependent retrieval: Memory & Cognition, Blackwell Publishers, Boston.

Godden, D & Baddeley, A 1975, “Context dependent memory in two natural environments”, British Journal of Psychology, vol. 66 no. 3, pp. 325–331.

Godden, D & Baddeley, A 1980, “When does context influence recognition memory?”, British Journal of Psychology, vol. 71 no. 7, pp. 99–104.

Grant, E 1998, “Context-dependent memory for meaningful material: Information for students”, Applied Cognitive Psychology, vol. 12 no. 4, pp. 617–623.

Lewis, P & Critchley, H 2003, Mood-dependent memory: Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Irwin, McGraw Publishers, New York.

Marian, V & Fausey, C 2006, “Language-dependent memory in bilingual learning”, Applied Cognitive Psychology, vol. 20 no. 8, pp. 1025–1047.

Marian, V & Neisser, U 2000, “Language-dependent recall of autobiographical memories”, Journal of Experimental Psychology, vol. 129 no.3, pp. 361–368.

Smith, S & Vela, E 2001, “Environmental context-dependent memory: A review and meta-analysis”, Psychological Bulletin, vol. 8 no. 2, pp. 221-220.

Smith, S 1988, Environmental context-dependent memory, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, New York.

The capability of retaining important facts in a person’s mind with an ability to recall them after some considerable length of time at the will of an individual is very essential. This ability is closely related to cognitive psychology that dictates human memory (Robson 2006, p.145). In addition, the demand for memory varies from one individual to another. On the same note, different ages have various requirements for memory. Sigelman and Rider (2011, p.177) note that the school –going- age individuals have greater demands for memory compared to adults. It is notable that by the time persons mature into adults, they will have accumulated much of the adequate skills and knowledge they use in their day-to-day activities.

The foundation of knowledge in different fields of study keeps on changing, mostly by building on existing facts and findings. On the other hand, there are new and continuously emerging ideologies that people retain in their memories. Everyone in society should develop and demonstrate a great mastery of all information which relates with their vocations. Hence, an efficient and effective memory is essential in human functioning. This paper discusses several strategies that can be used to enhance effective and efficient memory. The paper also offers situational examples which can be used as methods of developing memory.

Strategies for memory, explanations and examples in real life situations

Brief Discussion

Mental processing is one of the most elementary areas of specialty in cognitive psychology. Learning is paralyzed if long term and short term memories of the brain are not enhanced (Higbee 2001, p.200). In other words, memory is very essential in cultivating learning abilities. The three stages of memory must be fully developed. A good strategy for memory is the one that improves information encoding, necessitates storage of data in a memorable state and enables the mind to easily retrieve information. In any case, retrieval of memory is central in remembrance (Madigan & Thompson 2007, p. 150). Studies have revealed that if a person has difficulties in encoding and storing the much needed memory, but can retrieve information at will, then such an individual do not suffer significant memory deficiency. Indeed, a malfunction in retrieval of stored information is a real challenge to the entire memory system.

References

Blerkom, D 2011, College study skills: becoming a strategic learner, IDP Education Australia, Sydney.

Casale, M., Roeder, J., Ashby, F 2012, “Analogical transfer in perceptual categorization”, Memory & Cognition vol. 40 no. 3, pp. 434-449.

Donohue, K. & Spencer, R 2011, “Continuous Re-Exposure to Environmental Sound Cues during Sleep Does Not Improve Memory for Semantically Unrelated Pairs”, Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology vol. 10 no. 2, pp. 167- 177.

Hicklin, S 2007, The experience of remembering as a function of attachment, University of South Carolina, Carolina.

Higbee, K 2001, your memory: How it works and how to improve it, Cengage learning, New York.

Lloyd, M. & Miller, J 2011, “Are two heuristics better than one? The fluency and distinctiveness heuristics in recognition memory”, Memory & Cognition vol. 39, no. 7, pp. 1264-1274.

Madigan, S. & Thompson, R 2007, Memory: the key consequences, Oxford University, Oxford.

Robertsone, I, Grafman, J & Boller, F 2003, Handbook of neuropsychology, Wiley & Sons, California.

Robson, S 2006, Developing thinking and understanding in young children, Oxford University Press, London.

Ross, B 2010, The psychology of learning and motivation: Advances in research, Stanford University, Stanford.

Saltzman, L 2006, Making memories matter: strategies for remembrance, Kessinger Publishing, Philadelphia.

Sigelman, K & Rider, E 2011, Life span human development, Thompson Learning, South Melbourne.

Stuart, I 2012, The Psychology of aging, Thompson Learning, South Melbourne.

Memory is the cornerstone of human cognition that enables all of its profound mechanisms, and the instrument of knowledge acquisition and exchange. However, it remains a mechanism of unparalleled complexity because of the diversity of its functions and purposes. Prior research has mostly focused on the biological mechanisms behind the perception of color. However, its role in memory performance requires further examination. The present study aims to investigate whether a correlation exists between the presence of color in an image and an individual’s ability to remember it. In fact, the dependence of the memory abilities on various independent variables is a subject of active research. In the case of color, the opposition is observed between monochromous and colored images. It is theorized that the second type of images engages the memory mechanism on a more profound level through the extensive use of visual receptors. This way, colored pictures lead to a better ability to memorize and retain them in mind. However, the contemporary body of knowledge does not provide a definitive answer, and the necessity of further research arises.

Today, experts and researchers seek to acquire a better understanding of the relation between colors and memory. According to Dzulkifli and Mustafar (2013), the complexity of human cognition, namely the memory mechanisms, impedes the formation of concrete answers and evidence-based theories. Their research revolves around the role of color in improving an individual’s memorizing abilities. In this regard, an emphasis in placed on the concept of attentiveness of the subject. As per the contemporary research synthesis provided by Dzulkifli and Mustafar (2013), the combination of attention and emotional arousal has a direct positive impact on the memory performance of an individual. In turn, these factors are more actively engaged when the presented images are colored. This way, colors have an effect, although indirect, on the memory improvement mediated by the increased attention.

Researchers equally attempt to formulate a list of relevant independent variables that contribute to or impede the improvement of object memory. Similar ideas are discussed by Reppa et al. (2020) who examine color in combination with shape and in relation to the memorizing ability of an individual. Their research follows an experimental design, probing the participants’ episodic memory. The purpose of the study is to identify possible correlations between the objects’ shape and color and their ability to be memorized more easily. As revealed by Reppa et al. (2020), their findings suggest that “colour is an automatically encoded object property” (p. 1504). However, color demonstrates its effectiveness primarily in combination with shape. This information suggests that it is, indeed, an active independent variable within the discussed context but not the only one at play.

Thomas Young and Hermann Von Helmholtz established the Trichromatic theory of human vision. According to it, the human retina contains three types of color receptors, and each is responsible for a specific color, namely red, green, and blue. This theory is based on the fact that all shades that can be perceived by the eye are created through a combination of these three colors. Ewald Hering’s theory of the Opponent Process adds that color is coded in opponent pairs: black-white, yellow-blue, and green-red. The basic idea is that some cells of the visual system are excited by one of the opponent colors and inhibited by the other. However, these theories rely on the biophysical properties of the eye, implying little or no coverage of the cognitive effect. Thus, the current body of knowledge requires further elaborations on the association between the presence of color and the memory performance.

References

Dzulkifli, M. A., & Mustafar, M. F. (2013). The influence of colour on memory performance: A review. Malaysian Journal of Medical Science, 20(2), 3–9.

Reppa, I., Williams, K. E., Greville, W. J., & Saunders, J. (2020). The relative contribution of shape and colour to object memory. Memory & Cognition, 48, 1504–1521.

Introduction

From the existing data and hypothesis, females have a better memory than males when recalling a list of words. According to the statistics, on average, the females recalled about eleven words while the males recalled only ten. The main cause of this finding may be the differences in brain structures and functions connected with memory.

Main text

Some brain structures concerning memory and learning differ in size between females and males. The hippocampus is of importance when it comes to memory formation and preservation and is relatively larger in females than males, giving the females advantage in memory cognition. This is because it grows and matures faster in females than males, making the females tend to accurately remember words, lists of familiar objects such as furniture, animals, and food, with better recognition memory.

There is also consistency for episodic memories, especially for specific events, that differs between the sexes. The study in the diverse recalling tactics between most males and females has its origin in sexual behavior. This trend has become the focal point of the study, which sees upon the theory that it is gender-based dearth memory. This difference may also come up owing to the opposite genders having varied interests and enthusiasms.

Moreover, a survey shows that females also have a stronger working memory compared to males (Salkind, 2015, p. 15). They are also able to hold verbal information at once whilst the males can hold memories relating to vision. This study also found that there is substantial variation in people’s decisions on the acceptability of methods of studying, proofing that most people are tentative about the right studying skills. This finding calls back to the classroom level where students are still learning. As a result, there is a call for teachers to spend more time in class to educate students on positive and effective methods of studying (Sapsford & Jupp, 2006, p. 29) which will improve their memory.

It is regular to consider learning as something that happens at school, yet quite a lot of learning happens outside of class. Individuals learn for all the duration of their lives. Learning alludes to the capacity to recover data from long-term memory and is firmly identified with it. Learning is otherwise perceptive. Some children tend to recall less of what they have learned but are motivated when they expect a prize for doing so. The term dormant learning depicts cases in which a human takes in another conduct, however, does not do it until there is the likelihood of getting a prize. There is a need for continuing research to find out the factors contributing to the fact that students recall fewer words. Educational researchers need to continue conducting empirical research to find out the factors leading to recognition difficulties.

Conclusion

Learning and memory are very much in relation and depict comparable processes. Both learning and memory are required for people to live. A short memory is transitory yet there is anticipation to make lengthy reminiscences and encounters. The outcome brings up another point: however this supposition gives the possibility that females did have a marginally higher amount of words recalled than the normal score in contrast with guys, the distinction seems too little for accepting that gender overstated the transient review results.

References

Salkind, N. J. (2014). Statistics for people who (think they) hate statistics (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Sapsford, R., & Jupp, V. (2006). Data collection and analysis (2nd ed.). London: SAGE Publications in association with the Open University.

Introduction

Online marketing and advertising actively develop nowadays, and modern advertisers need to focus on the customers’ attitudes and behaviours in the context of the effectiveness of the advertisement’s location on the web page.

Thus, it is important to answer the questions on how customers look at advertisements, focus their attention, and how their eye movements are motivated in order to understand how the location or the character of online information can affect the user’s attitude and behaviour.

The problem is in the fact that according to Jeff Hawkins’s memory-prediction framework, people are inclined to create a memory model and match memory patterns of known objects and, as a result, predict future activities. However, when there is the prediction mismatch, a man’s cognitive activities change, affecting his attention (Hawkins 2005). Therefore, the effects of the memory-prediction framework are important for influencing the customers’ focus in advertising.

Project Background

The study of eye tracking or eye movements for predicting the effectiveness of online advertisements is actively used by researchers during recent years (Michailidou 2014, p. 670; Ratwani & Trafton 2011).

However, the discussion of Hawkins’s memory-prediction framework in the spheres of marketing and advertising is limited. Furthermore, there is the lack of discussions related to the role of the prediction mismatch for eye tracking and further customers’ attitudes.

Project Aims and Objectives

The aim of the project is to investigate the use of the prediction mismatch in order to capture the user’s attention in online advertising.

The objectives of the project are the following ones:

1. In cooperation with Think Eye Tracking, eye tracking or eye movements of website users will be explored and fixed.
2. Eye tracking will be analysed to determine possible prediction mismatch.
3. Changes in the users’ attention, focus, and attitude will be determined and analysed.

Intellectual Challenge

The investigation in the sphere of online advertising that uses the Hawkins’s memory-prediction framework as the theoretical background is academically challenging because it utilises the specific idea about the prediction mismatch in order to discuss how users’ attention and attitudes can be reflected in eye tracking and influence their attitude.

The research allows the development of the theory on the effective use of the prediction mismatch and web location for increasing the effectiveness of advertisements.

Research Approach/Programme

The researcher will use the eye tracking technologies for analyzing the users’ activities on the books online website. Two pages of the same website will be proposed to users for examination. The pages will be different in the amount of presented information on them.

The eye movement of users while reading web pages will be analysed in detail to understand which page is more attractive for them and on which locations the users focus on. The changes in the users’ focuses and attention will be analysed along with the possible changes in attitudes to the information and product.

Deliverables

Identified changes in users’ eye movements and focuses will demonstrate how expectations associated with the prediction mismatch influence the users’ examination of the web page; what parts of the web pages become more attractive for the customers; and effects of the prediction mismatch on the user’s attention.

Resources

The required resources are the eye tracking technologies provided by Think Eye Tracking for working with the books online store website (Think eye tracking 2014).

Reference List

Hawkins, J 2005, On intelligence, Henry Holt and Co., New York.

Michailidou, E 2014, ‘Towards predicting ad effectiveness via an eye tracking study’, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 8527, no. 1, pp. 670-680.

Ratwani, R & Trafton, G 2011, ‘A real-time eye tracking system for predicting and preventing postcompletion errors’, Human–Computer Interaction, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 205-245.

Think eye tracking 2014. Web.

A community consists of a group of individuals, families, tribes and cultures that live in the same geographical location and have common interests. For instance, people who live near a river and engage primarily in fishing are referred to as a fishing community. In its broader sense, the term community includes entire nations and states. People who have a common background or history that binds them together characterizes a typical community. The dynamics of every community change with the passage of time. The objective of this paper is to examine some of the gatherings that take place in the community and how these gatherings are related to time.

Some of the gatherings that take place in my community include events that mark the arrival of a newborn child, circumcision, weddings, funerals, political rallies, and national holidays. The values of the community are communicated through narratives, collective prayers, recitals, songs and dances; depending on the solemnity of the situation.

In most communities, the passage of time is marked by a special event or ceremony.For example, the birth of a child is marked by a naming ceremony. Relatives and friends gather to welcome the new arrival, congratulate the parents as well as pray for the baby. It is usually a joyous occasion full of laughter and the parents of the child are showered with gifts as well as advice if it is their first child.

The rite of circumcision marks the passage of boys from childhood into adulthood. The boys are usually herded off into a secluded spot away from the rest of the community for an extended period. During this time, they are taught by their elders on how to handle greater responsibilities and conduct themselves with honor in the society.

Funerals also serve to bring people together. Relatives and friends of the bereaved gather to pay their last respects. In some cases, especially in the days preceding the burial, people gather to raise funds that will help the family meet expenses related to the burial. During the ceremony, dirges are sung to express grief, console the bereaved and to give hope to all those affected. They are usually sad and solemn, with little or no movement at all. These are often followed by speeches from relatives and close friends of the deceased. The person leading the ceremony conducts himself in a similar somber fashion as a sign of respect.

In contrast, the songs sung during wedding ceremonies are cheerful and vibrant. The intention is usually to celebrate the union of not just two individuals, but two different families. As such, weddings are of great significance and are usually characterized by feasting and drinking. Towards the end, the groom and bride are usually given presents that range from utensils to furniture or even a car.

During political rallies and national holidays, qualities such as patriotism and unity are expressed when members of the community gather at a central place to be addressed by their leaders. The speeches given by the leaders are aimed at uniting the people as well as motivating the spectators into taking action. They are usually accompanied by music to entertain the masses. These gatherings provide a platform for members to exchange ideas as well as present their grievances. Depending on the mood at the time and the underlying issues, the gatherings can be either peaceful or violent.

Family reunions, more commonly known as get-togethers are characterized by a meeting of all the relatives in a central location. These meetings are usually held upcountry where the grandparents reside. During these times, stories are told, different opinions shared and points debated. They may be based on current proceedings or things that happened in the distant past. The past is brought up as a way of imparting lessons, especially to the younger generation. Reunions are a time of relaxation and renewing the sense of kinship in families. These gatherings are mostly held annually and are accompanied by merry-making.

Graduation ceremonies are a common feature in my community. This is because education is highly valued. Hence, someone who has attended and successfully graduated from an institution of higher learning is held in high esteem. The family of such an individual usually organizes a feast that is attended by close relatives and friends. Congratulatory speeches are made and the graduate is given advice on how to handle life from that point onwards. It is usually a very cheerful occasion, marked by singing and dancing.

Development projects such as building dams, drilling wells or planting trees to prevent soil erosion provide a platform for members of the community to interact. This is one time when people set aside their political and ideological differences and decide to work together for the good of the society as a whole. Activities are organized and resources pooled together towards a common goal. Uplifting songs are sung in order to encourage the people to work even harder. In the process, values such as commitment and hard work are learnt. Community ties are strengthened by working together thus promoting social cohesion.

One of the ways that a community can commemorate its past is by building shrines or monuments of important individuals that were involved in shaping the history of the community. These shrines are considered sacred and are protected by the local citizens.

A community can also revere its past by setting aside a single day to remember a specific event or person. This tradition can then be passed to the future generations to ensure that the memory is not lost.

On a national scale, important events can be incorporated into the syllabus where children are taught about the history of their country and other events that are related to their country. This is a sure method of preserving the heritage of a country.

A local museum does not exist in my community. However, several libraries are stocked with reading materials that go as far back as the pre-independence period. These materials serve as reference tools for future generations who are eager to learn more about their roots as well as their present surroundings. Apart from these physical structures, human beings can serve as memory banks. The information carried by parents and grandparents is passed on to the subsequent generation and the next one after that. This is especially true in the case of local events that are not necessarily chronicled in books or the local dailies but which are still significant in the eyes of the community.

In conclusion, various gatherings and events are held in the community to mark the passage of time. These include weddings, family reunions, circumcision ceremonies, as well as religious festivities like idd-ul-fitr, which, are observed worldwide. It is important for a community to participate in these activities. They provide a platform for individuals to interact and understand each other better, thus promoting social cohesion. They also serve as a tool for preserving the collective memory of the community.

Memories can be formed at three levels: molecular, cellular, and system. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is the basis of memory formation at the molecular level. It is a process in which the connections between neurons become stronger, and memories are formed. The memories then can either be lost or turned into long-term ones, if this synaptic strength is constantly increased or sustained.

Hippocampus plays an essential role in the memory formation process because it is the part of the brain where short-term memories become long-term memories. These memories are then stored in other regions of the brain. Therefore, the whole brain is involved in the memory formation process. Different brain regions store different types of memories and, although they are interconnected, each plays a specific part in memory formation.

Normal forgetting differs from amnesia in the way that the first type of memory loss is connected to occasional events, while with the second condition, people lose whole segments of memories. Therefore, one can call an absent-minded person amnesic if their memories are affected in a much broader way than in most people, and they tend to forget something that people normally do not forget. In addition, people with amnesia are often unable to form new memories from particular time points in their lives.

I believe that a memory that can record information objectively and accurately is better than a memory that can be updated to support newer levels of understanding, because the first type encompasses the second. If someone can record objective and accurate memories, it means that their brain can effectively form new synapses and maintain their strength. This ability can allow a person to update their memory to understand concepts and subjects of increased complexity.

Basic functions of memory

As memory processes and stores information, it is characterized by three basic functions.

The first function is encoding, which refers to putting information into people’s brains (Psychology 2e, n.d.). Encoding involves automatic processing that happens unconsciously and effortful processing, which requires putting effort to perceive information (Psychology 2e, n.d.).

The second function is storage which accounts for the preservation of information (Psychology 2e, n.d.). This function can be characterized by two models, with the first one proposing different forms of memory based on the received information and the other one suggesting stages of storing information (Psychology 2e, n.d.).

The third function is retrieval which refers to applying the memorized information (Psychology 2e, n.d.). Retrieving information involves recalling or accessing information, recognizing or identifying already learned information, and relearning something again (Psychology 2e, n.d.).

Combined, all these functions help to obtain, remember, and utilize information.

Stages of memory storage

In order for information to be remembered, it has to go through three stages of storage.

First, information is processed in sensory memory, which perceives sensory events for a couple of seconds to determine whether the information is valuable and should be kept for a longer period (Psychology 2e, n.d.).

Next, information moves to short-term memory, where it stays for about twenty seconds (Psychology 2e, n.d.). At this stage, information can be rehearsed, meaning that it can be consciously repeated to be remembered better (Psychology 2e, n.d.).

Finally, important information is continuously stored in long-term memory (Psychology 2e, n.d.).

As information goes through each stage and is stored in long-term memory, it is determined to be valuable.

Procedural and declarative memory

Long-term memory, which stores important information, can be characterized by procedural and declarative memory.

Procedural memory refers to unconscious information that is used to complete everyday actions with basic skills such as driving (Psychology 2e, n.d.). Moreover, procedural memory can reflect one’s behavior in various situations (Psychology 2e, n.d.).

Declarative memory, also known as explicit, accounts for consciously remembering and recalling certain facts and events (Psychology 2e, n.d.).

Although procedural and declarative are integral parts of memory in general, they require different levels of consciousness and are responsible for different kinds of knowledge. However, one can assume that information from declarative memory can be transferred to procedural memory with time and practice.

Semantic and episodic memory

Declarative memory that refers to consciously remembering information, can be divided into semantic and episodic memory.

Semantic memory accounts for remembering information related to language, such as words (Psychology 2e, n.d.). Following that, this type of memory refers to more conceptual knowledge.

On the other hand, episodic memory contains information about one’s personal experiences (Psychology 2e, n.d.). This type of memory accounts for summarizing and remembering placement, timing, and happenings of certain episodes from life (Psychology 2e, n.d.).

Although the two types of declarative memory both consciously contain information, semantic memory is associated with more abstract knowledge, whereas episodic memory is connected more to remembering past events. However, they both are well memorized and can be consciously recalled.

Reference

Psychology 2e (n.d.). Chapter 8: Memory. [PowerPoint slides].